The Dec. 23 letter "Honoring one's heritage doesn't equate to racism" rings true, but there is more to the story of us.
Let me begin by stating that I am unequivocally against any form of slavery. The enslavement of any soul is a crime against humanity.
However, if one must address this extremely sensitive subject, one must be told all the facts.
By using a generalized time frame of, say, 300 years, let's consider this: At the start, one or more of the powerful tribes in Africa were actually responsible for capturing innocent souls from the lesser or weaker tribes and sold/traded them to the Dutch and English slave traders. In other words, they sold their own people. The first sin there was the capture and sale; the second sin the purchase or trade.
My point is that way too many atrocities have scarred humanity. For example, we do not persecute modern-day German citizens for the atrocities done to the Jewish people some 80 years ago.
It is time to let the history books carry the burden of past sins.
We all should not continue to drag the anchor of the sins of our fathers on our backs, but instead focus on the future. The only way to ensure a future of peaceful coexistence is to stop the cycle or burden imposed by our ancestors, forgive one another and work together toward that common goal. If the human race is to survive, we need to try.
Roy Ayala
Kihei
